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Meat and by-products in breastfeeding

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Meat and by-products in breastfeeding must be in the ration of lactating mothers. But there are cases when the consumption of such products should be limited or increased on the contrary. Given all the nutritional properties of such products, young mothers need to know when such products need to be limited.

Benefits of meat for breastfeeding

When a woman is breastfeeding her baby, she needs more nutrients to maintain health and make breastmilk useful to the baby. It is very important that lactating women maintain a balanced diet.

A healthy diet includes eating different foods from the main groups: cereals, vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy products (eg cheese and yogurt), meat. Good nutrition during breastfeeding ensures that you stay healthy, and your child will grow and develop normally. However, there are some foods that should be avoided by breastfeeding women, as they can cause problems in the baby. While eating meat delicacies is safe during breastfeeding, it is important to consider their nutritional value. Meat is one of the most common foods during lactation. After all, the probability of problems due to meat delicacies when lactating is very small. 

Women who breastfeed require almost twice as much protein as non-breastfeeding women. Since protein is an important component of breast milk, consuming large amounts of protein can help maximize milk intake, which will help optimize the growth and development of your baby. Choosing healthy, safe foods high in protein at every meal or snack can help you meet your protein needs during lactation.

The recommended daily dose of protein for lactating women is 71 grams per day.

If your diet meets the minimum requirements for protein, the amount of protein in breast milk is likely to be sufficient to meet your child's needs. Along with proteins, the meat also provides essential amino acids that help in digestion. Because our body can not produce these amino acids by itself, they must come from food. Animal protein is usually of high quality, containing all 8 essential amino acids, which are very important for the growth and maintenance of the child's health.

Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, soy products, dairy products, nuts and seeds are rich sources of dietary protein. For example, one serving of beef or chicken provides 20-30 grams of protein. Which meat is better to choose and can I eat pork with a nursing mother? Meat, such as pork, basically consists of protein. The protein content of cooked beef ranges from 26-27%. The amino acid profile of pork is almost identical to that of our own muscles. For this reason, eating pork can be especially helpful when breastfeeding. But this kind of meat can be somewhat greasy. The amount of fat in the beef depends on the level of trimming and age of the animal, breed, sex and feed. In addition to adding flavor, fat significantly increases the caloric content of meat. Therefore, you need to properly cook pork and choose the right meat, which is not too fat.

You can eat chicken breastfeeding mom instead of pork. According to the protein content, this type of meat is not inferior to beef. In addition, the chicken is considered more dietary meat. Chicken contains a large amount of zinc, which increases immunity. Due to its antioxidant properties, zinc is responsible for creating antibodies to fight free radicals. Protein, also obtained from meat, helps in the production of these antibodies to protect the body from infections.

Iron is one of the key minerals that helps ensure proper blood circulation and oxygen transport to all cells. And different types of meat are a good source of iron. Iron deficiency can lead to serious health problems and is initially recognized as weakness, lack of concentration and fatigue. Anemia can occur in the mother after childbirth, as well as in the child against a background of different causes. Therefore, in such cases, the amount of meat that mum should consume should increase to replenish iron stores.

Incorporation of essential fatty acids and nucleotides found in meat, contributes to the cognitive and brain growth of your young child. This helps in the future with the concentration of attention and development of the cognitive sphere of the baby. Chicken, turkey, duck, pork, lamb, rabbit - all these types of meat have such useful ingredients. But we need to remember that while frozen and canned meat products can be handy in cooking, nothing compares to fresh meat.

The benefits of meat is very clear, but can you eat lard for your nursing mother? Salo restores the body of a woman after childbirth, as its chemical composition contains a unique acid, which is necessary for the functioning of many organs and the production of hormones. You can also note in it the high content of acids and minerals necessary for the body. Salo, of course, can be considered a useful product, but given its fat content and the content of "unhealthy" fatty acids, it is best to exclude this product, at least in the first six months of breastfeeding.

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By-products from lactation

Many people are wondering whether it is possible to eat liver to a nursing mother? The liver is such food which has positive, and also negative consequences for development of your child. The liver has many nutrients that are good for the health of mom and baby. It contains: iron, vitamin A, protein, folic acid. Protein and folic acid are important for maintaining the growth of your child, iron provides the formation of adequate hemoglobin in the blood. Another advantage of the liver is the vitamin D content. Vitamin D is usually produced by the skin when exposed to sunlight, but many babies who are breastfeeding are at risk of deficiency, since infants are often protected from the sun. Since vitamin D deficiencies can cause rickets, adding a liver mother to the diet can help prevent this disorder in infants.

The liver contains high cholesterol, which is dangerous for mom in the first place. But given that cholesterol is not a very good fatty acid, the child also does not need it.

The liver contains a high concentration of vitamin A. Vitamin A in the liver is in the form of retinol. Excessive consumption of the vitamin in this form can lead to disturbances in the child. The exact amount of retinol found in different sources will vary. For example, a beef liver will have a higher degree of vitamin A than a chicken liver. But even in small amounts, it can be harmful because of the form in which it is found. Therefore, if you are very fond of the liver, then it is recommended to eat a chicken liver for a nursing mother. It is considered less harmful and more dietary. The liver of the nursing mother should be properly cooked so that it does not contain harmful substances. Before cooking, you need to soak the liver for several hours in cold water, and then stew it, avoiding frying. This will reduce the amount of harmful fats.

Can I eat chicken hearts for a nursing mother? This can be an excellent alternative for those moms who do not eat the liver. Chicken hearts are very close to the liver, but they contain less vitamin A and cholesterol. Therefore, their use is even more welcome than inclusion in the diet of the liver.

The use of meat for the child and mother during feeding is undeniable. But is it also useful to eat meat products? Is it possible to eat sausages, boiled sausage to nursing mom? On the one hand, these are meat products that have been processed and can be safe in terms of the content of bacteria. But considering such processing, the maintenance of meat and use in sausages or sausage decreases. In addition to low amounts of protein, such foods contain preservatives, many of which can affect the baby. Therefore, of course, you need to give preference to fresh meat, which you have prepared yourself. This will be more pleasing to both the nursing mother and the baby.

Is it possible to eat mayonnaise to a nursing mother? Mayonnaise is a product that is made from egg yolk mixed with vegetable oil, lemon juice or vinegar. The protein and lecithin in the egg yolk act as emulsifiers in mayonnaise. Mayonnaise, used in limited quantities, can be useful for health. One tablespoon of mayonnaise contains 1.77 milligrams of vitamin E. Vitamin E helps maintain blood sugar levels, reduces the likelihood of respiratory problems in the child and mother in the future. Also this product contains vitamin K. Vitamin K is important in the postpartum period, as it helps in blood clotting and prevents excessive bleeding. Your child also needs vitamin K for its development.

But still, mayonnaise should not be taken for healthy food during breastfeeding. It contains a high level of fat and other harmful elements, and it does more harm than good. Mayonnaise is high in calories and can lead to an increase in excess weight.

Therefore, such a product is best avoided even throughout life, and especially with lactation.

Healthy eating is a way to have a healthy baby. The foods that you consume when you are breastfeeding will have a direct effect on how your child develops. Meat is always an indispensable product, which in the diet of nursing moms must be. With regard to store meat products and by-products, it is better to use them in limited quantities.

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